Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
  • H04R1/10—Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones
  • H04R1/105—Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
  • H04R1/10—Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones
  • H04R1/1058—Manufacture or assembly
  • H04R1/1066—Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R2201/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones covered by H04R1/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
  • H04R2201/10—Details of earpieces, attachments therefor, earphones or monophonic headphones covered by H04R1/10 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
  • H04R2201/107—Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R2460/00—Details of hearing devices, i.e. of ear- or headphones covered by H04R1/10 or H04R5/033 but not provided for in any of their subgroups, or of hearing aids covered by H04R25/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
  • H04R2460/13—Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers

Definitions

• the field of the invention is that of ear supports designed to carry an electronic device behind the pinna.
• the invention relates more particularly to an ear support designed to carry an electronic device behind the pavilion of the ear and which comprises a branch with a central part of the branch substantially in the form of a hook for hooking the retro-auricular groove between the ear and the skull, and a first straight and rigid branch end extending said central branch part to form one end of the branch and for carrying the electronic device against the internal face of the ear's flag.
• Some of these supports also make it possible to carry the transducer against the internal face of the pavilion of the ear so as to vibrate the pavilion of the ear in the same way as a loudspeaker vibrating its membrane.
• the vibration of the pavilion is then propagated by the ear canal to be transformed into audio signal in the middle and inner ear.
• the rectilinear branch part is here extended by a hook-shaped branch part able to follow the contour of the ear, following the retro-auricular groove, to open near the root of the helix on the external face of the ear pavilion.
• the hooking of the contour of the ear by the hook-shaped branch part thus makes it possible to orient and to carry the transducer against the internal face of the pavilion of the ear so as to transmit vibrations to the pavilion of the ear.
• the surface of the horn on which the transducer makes contact is not flat and varies according to the morphology of the ears of the users.
• the transducer thus tends to wobble during the user's head movements, sometimes causing the audio device to fall.
• the transducer becomes troublesome during prolonged use.
• the object of the invention is therefore to remedy the above problems.
• the subject of the invention is an ear support designed to carry an audio device behind the pavilion of the ear, said support comprising a branch with a central branch part substantially in the form of a hook for hooking the retro-ear groove. between the ear and the skull, and a first straight and rigid branch end which extends from said central part of the branch to form an end of the branch and which is designed to carry the audio device behind the pavilion of the ear, characterized in that the branch comprises a second end of an elastically deformable and S-shaped branch which is adapted to be fixed to the external face of the pinna, said second branch end extending said central branch part to form a end of the branch and extending obliquely to a plane in which the central part of the branch extends, and in that said second end branch and said central branch part substantially form with each other a helical branch section.
• the idea underlying the invention consists in using the second end of an elastically deformable branch having an S shape to pinch the helix and to be inserted in compression in one or more excavations of the external face of the roof of the ear.
• the first branch end in turn exerts a force on the audio device to press it against the inner face of the pavilion of the ear.
• the ear support according to the invention is also not very intrusive in the external face of the pavilion of the ear since the second end of an S-shaped branch is able to be inserted in one of the excavations of the external pavilion of the ear such than the triangular pit, the Scapha cavity and the Concha cavity.
• the ear support according to the invention is advantageously arranged so as not to obstruct the user's ear canal, making the user more alert to surrounding noises while guaranteeing optimal use of the audio device.
• the ear support is adaptable to any type of ear morphology and is also adaptable to the left ear as well as to the right ear.
• the ear support according to the invention can also have the following particularities:
• the branch includes a fixing rail designed to move the audio device longitudinally along the first branch end;
• the branch includes a ball joint designed to tilt the audio device on the first branch end;
• the branch includes a power cable to magnetic connection to power the audio device; the first branch end comprises a battery capable of supplying the audio device.
• the invention also extends to an electronic device comprising an audio device and / or a microphone fixed to an ear support according to the invention.
• the audio device may include a transducer with a hemispherical surface intended to be in contact with the ear.
• Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an ear support according to the invention adapted to be fixed in the Scapha cavity of the ear;
• FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an ear support according to the invention fixed in the Scapha cavity on the external face of the pavilion of one ear;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an electronic device according to the invention comprising a transducer, a microphone and an ear support;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an ear support according to the invention adapted to be fixed in the Concha cavity of the ear;
• FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an ear support according to the invention fixed in the cavity
• FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of an electronic device according to the invention comprising a rail mounted transducer.
• the ear support 1 is particularly well suited for carrying an electronic device 2 such as an audio device, for example of the transducer 2a and / or microphone 2b type behind the ear 4.
• an electronic device 2 such as an audio device, for example of the transducer 2a and / or microphone 2b type behind the ear 4.
• the ear support 1, represented in FIGS. 1 to 6, is in the form of a branch comprising a first end 5 of a substantially straight and rigid branch which is designed to carry the electronic device 2, for example via a means of clipping, magnetization or simply by gluing.
• a fixing rail 6, visible in FIG. 6, is also mounted on the branch, on the first branch end 5, to allow adjustment of the position of the transducer 2a along the first branch end 5.
• the first branch end 5 may also include a fixing ball joint 7 designed to tilt the electronic device 2 relative to the first branch end 5.
• the transducer 2a can be oriented to adapt to the different morphologies of the ears 4 of the users.
• the first branch end 5 may also integrate a battery 8 capable of supplying the electronic device 2 and thus limit the wired connections.
• Battery 8 also provides power for other elements that can be integrated into the ear support, such as a Bluetooth and / or wifi module, LEDs, etc.
• a system 12 for attaching the wire disposed at the first end 5 of the branch and operating by magnetic effect will be preferred so limit the risk of stretching or tearing of the ear 4.
• the branch of the ear support 1 also comprises a central branch part 9, shown in all of Figures 1 to 6, extending substantially in a plane P and in the extension of the first end 5 of branch.
• the central part 9 of the branch here has a curved hook shape to form a kind of arch or arch.
• the central branch part 9 is designed to hook the retro-auricular groove between the ear and the skull and to orient the first branch end 5 behind the ear, on the internal face of the horn.
• the electronic device 2 is pressed against the internal face of the pavilion of the ear 4.
• the central part 9 of the branch is here made of bi-material, that is to say that it has on the one hand a rigid portion PR which extends the first end 5 of the branch so as to transmit a force to the first end 5 branch to press the electronic device 2 against the roof and on the other hand a flexible portion PS, here plastic PU8150, which extends the rigid portion PR to form the end of the hook to soften contact with the ear 4.
• the ear support 1 finally comprises a second end 10 of elastically deformable branch, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, designed to fix the ear support 1 on the external face of the pavilion of the ear 4.
• the second branch end 10 has an S shape and extends in the extension of the central branch part 9 and obliquely to the plane P of the central branch part 9.
• the second branch end 10 and the central branch part 9, more particularly the flexible portion PS of the central branch part 9, substantially form with each other a helical branch section PH which extends along an axis Al perpendicular to the plane P.
• the helical section PH of the branch is able to overlap the helix 4a of the pinna of the ear 4 which acts as a pivot point PP, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.
• the overlap makes it possible on the one hand to pinch the helix 4a between the central part 9 of branch and the second end 10 of branch, and on the other hand to present a downstream portion PA of the second end 10 of branch which follows the section helical branch PH on the external face of the pinna 4.
• the downstream portion PA of the second branch end 10 extends in a curved manner opposite to the helical section PH of the branch so that it can be inserted into one of the excavations on the external face of the pavilion, such as the triangular pit 4b , the Scapha 4c cavity and the Concha 4d cavity, visible in Figures 2 and 5.
• the insertion of the downstream portion PA of the second branch end 10 into one of the excavations will induce an elastic deformation of the second branch end 10 which will compress the ear 4 with the central branch part 9 and press in back the electronic device 2 against the internal face of the roof of
• the downstream portion PA of the second branch end 10 which extends the helical branch section PH can be widened in order to best fit the triangular pit 4b which adjoins the root of the helix 4a in order to then refine towards its free end and facilitate its insertion into one of the Scapha 4c or Concha 4d cavities.
• the second branch end 10 may also have a generally ovoid shape and a soft texture in order to improve the comfort of the user.
• the second branch end 10 can have two different arrangements which can be chosen according to the morphology of the ear 4 of
• the second branch end 10 substantially overlaps the central branch part 9 which facilitates its elastic deformation for insertion into the Scapha 4c cavity, visible in FIG. 2.
• the second branch end 10 does not overlap the central part 9 of branch which facilitates its elastic deformation for insertion into the Concha 4d cavity, visible in FIG. 5.
• the ear support 1 therefore acts here as a spring, whether with the helical branch section PH or the downstream portion PA, and makes it possible to tension the electronic device 2 against the rear of the ear 4.
• the ear support 1 therefore makes it possible to transmit a force from the external face of the ear pin 4 to the internal face of the ear pin 4.
• the spring effect of the second branch end 10 comes from the elastic properties of the material used, here chosen according to standard PU8400 shore A 85.
• the invention also extends to an audio device
• FIG. 11 which comprises a transducer 2a and a microphone 2b mounted with an ear support 1 according to the invention as shown in FIG. 3.
• transducer 2a makes it possible to transmit an audio signal by vibration against the internal face of the pinna of the ear 4.
• the location of the transducer 2a for optimal transmission of vibrations is located in a hollow of the pavilion, called point 0, on the inner side of the pavilion of the ear and which is opposite the root of the helix.
• the transducer 2a of the audio device 11 shown in FIG. 6 preferably has a contact surface with the ear 4 in the form of a hemisphere, on the one hand to better wedge in the hollow of point 0 and on the other hand to increase the area of contact with the roof.
• the electronic device 2 can be wedged and pressed into the hollow of point 0.
• the fixing rail 6 will also allow the electronic device 2 to be positioned at the point 0 according to the morphology of the user's ear 4.
• the user firstly has the central part 9 of the branch on the retro-auricular groove so as to orient the first end 5 of the branch behind the pavilion of the ear 4 , then, elastically deforms the helical section PH of branch to make it overlap the helix 4a and to insert the downstream portion PA of the second end 10 of branch in one of the excavations of the external face of the pavilion of the ear 4, here for example the Scapha 4c cavity as shown in Figure 2.
• the pressure exerted by the second branch end 10 makes it possible to push the transducer 2a back against the point 0 of the internal face of the pinna of the ear 4, stabilizing both the transducer 2a and the microphone 2b.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Otolaryngology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Headphones And Earphones (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=67107634

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Citations (4)

• 2019
  • 2019-01-08 FR FR1900156A patent/FR3091634B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2019-12-31 WO PCT/EP2019/087185 patent/WO2020144083A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2019-12-31 EP EP19832162.2A patent/EP3909255B1/de active Active

Patent Citations (4)

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